PHD grabbed my Father-in-Law yesterday

Birdhunter1 · Apr 7, 2006

( I have talked with my 11 year old son extensively about this and he is going to be ok. He understands now why DAD preaches so much about safety. I just hate that he had to see it first hand what can happen. )

As much as you'd liek not for your son to have seen it, I'm sure it put a high level of fear and respect for equipment in his mind so that when it's his day to operate stuff he is safe around it.

cowboydoc · Apr 7, 2006

I can't think of the exact website but there are a # of places that keep track of farm related injuries. The #1 age group for accidental injuries and death are youth. There is a national organization, sorry can't remember the name right off, that is like MADD that does nothing but education on youth and hazards of farm/ranch life.

jinman · Apr 7, 2006

Grizzman, that is terrific news. Both your FIL and your son will recover. Maybe they (...and we) will all be better off and safer because you told us what happened.

I would think you are struggling with this too. Taking the shirt off the PHD must have been pretty hard. I don't think I could have done that without shedding a tear or two. Whatever you do, don't go blamin' yourself. It was not your fault.

KubotaSteve · Apr 7, 2006

I remember when I was in junior high school, there was a kid whose parents owned a farm and of course he helped out. One evening after school he was driving a rather large tractor with tricycle front end. He had finished his chores and was coming across a field at an angle which he had done many many times before. That day was different as the tractor overturned and landed on him killing him. The worst part was his parents seeing him like that and couldn't do anything until they got a crane out there to lift the machine off of him.
The only thing they figured that happened was he must have been going too fast across the field and hit a row or hole wrong on a little bit of an angle. That has stuck with me everytime I am on my tractor.
The difference with youths being around machinery being careless and seasoned veterans (instead of old geezers /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif) being too comfortable around machinery is that the seasoned veterans know what the machinery can do. Kids have no idea of the power of a PTO shaft.

cowboydoc · Apr 7, 2006

Here is the kids website and this website give all the information you want to know about farm injuries. This is a great research article on pediatric farm injuries.

tillerkiller · Apr 7, 2006

( The difference with youths being around machinery being careless and seasoned veterans (instead of old geezers ) being too comfortable around machinery is that the seasoned veterans know what the machinery can do. Kids have no idea of the power of a PTO shaft. )

A quote about flying an airplane comes to mind:

"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots."

Billy_S · Apr 10, 2006

Another old airplane quote.

"I would rather be on the ground wishing I was flying than flying wishing I was on the ground."

trlong · Apr 10, 2006

Grizzman,

I've been following this but not said much as it seems all have had plenty to say. I just want to add my voice to those who are relieved your FIL will recover, and reminding you to not blame yourself. If you could, in any way, be blamed for your FIL's "mishap", we'd all have to take our tractors, chainsaws, tillers, radial arm saws, ....... lock them in cargo containers and then bury them.

On the bright side; Through your FIL's actions, and pain, he may end up saving your son's life by showing him that Dad's not being over-cautious when you say those tools can hurt him fast and seriously. Prayers for your family.

Tom

grunewald · Apr 22, 2006

Safety tip #1, turn the pto off when getting off the tractor, #2, be very careful with long sleeves. Rotating machinery can grab your sleeves and pull you into it, but with bare skin can't happen as easily.